The present invention relates to a device for taking out a straw for a beverage can, and more particularly to a device for taking a straw for a beverage can, by which a straw compressively received in a beverage can may be automatically projected through a can opening and beyond a can upper wall while a can lid portion formed when a beverage can is opened is moved downward or upward into or out of the beverage can, whereby it is possible to conveniently and hygienically drink beverage.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a partially broken perspective view which shows a structure of a beverage can of the prior art. A beverage can 10 is generally made from aluminum. The beverage can 10 includes a can side wall 11 having substantially a cylindrical configuration, and a can upper wall 12 and a can bottom wall which close an upper end and a lower end of the cylindrical side wall 11, respectively. The can upper wall 12 is provided with a grip 15 which is secured to the can upper wall 12 by using an appropriate technique well known in the art, such as rivetting. Below one end of the grip 15, the can upper wall 12 is formed with a score line which delimits a can lid portion 14. By lifting the other end of the grip 15, the one end of the grip 15 presses down the can lid portion 14 encompassed by the score line, then the score line is torn, and the can lid portion 14 is moved into the beverage can 10 to define a can opening 13 in the can upper wall 12, whereby it is possible to drink beverage through the can opening 13.
However, in the beverage can of the prior art, constructed as mentioned above, since one""s lip must be put onto the can upper wall defining the can opening, hygiene cannot be ensured. In other words, since foreign material such as dust, etc. is adhered onto the can upper wall, it is necessary to remove the foreign material such as dust, etc. before opening the beverage can. However, although it is possible to locate a tissue, etc. when drinking the beverage can in office or home, it is difficult to locate the tissue, etc. when drinking the beverage can in the fields. Accordingly, in the latter case, since the foreign material such as dust, etc. is eliminated using handkerchief or clothes, etc., hygiene cannot be ensured. Also, since one""s lip must be put onto the can upper wall defining the can opening to drink beverage, beverage is apt to run down out of the beverage can even with minor inadvertence, thereby to soil clothes.
In order to hygienically drink beverage, it is usual practice to drink beverage through a portion of a straw which is projected upward beyond the can upper wall in a state that the straw is inserted through the can opening into the beverage can. However, in this case, it is inconvenient to prepare a separate straw. Also, when the straw is used, since it is needed to grasp the beverage can with one hand and the straw with the other hand, the use thereof is very troublesome.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device for taking out a straw for a beverage can, by which a straw compressively received in a beverage can may be automatically projected through a can opening and beyond a can upper wall while a can lid portion formed when a beverage can is opened is moved downward or upward into or out of the beverage can, whereby it is possible to conveniently and hygienically drink beverage.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for taking out a straw for a beverage can, comprising: A rotating member rotatably secured to a can upper wall or a can side wall in the beverage can and defining an inner space into which the straw can be inserted, the rotating member being rotated by a can lid portion formed when the beverage can is opened, to project the straw upward through a can opening and beyond the can upper wall.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the device further comprises: a fixed member having an upper end secured to the can upper wall in the beverage can and a lower end to which the rotating member is rotatably secured.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the rotating member has a cylindrical configuration, a portion of the rotating member is cut in a longitudinal direction and bent to define a connection piece which extends slantingly toward the can upper wall, and an upper end of the connecting piece is secured to the can upper wall.
According to another aspect of the present invention, substantially a middle portion of the connection piece is formed with a score line, an edge of the can lid portion moving into the beverage can when the beverage can is opened is contacted to the middle portion to bend the connection piece along the score line, and the rotating member is rotated while the can lid portion is continuously moved into the beverage can after bending the connection piece.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the straw has a bellows part and a straight part, the bellows part being compressively received in the inner space of the rotating member and the straight part extending from a lower end of the rotating member toward a can bottom wall.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the straw comprises a vinyl tube and a coil spring wound around a circumferential inner or outer surface of the vinyl tube.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the fixed member has a semicircular cross-section, the rotating member is fitted into the fixed member, and the upper end of the fixed member is formed with a barrier piece for blocking upward expansion of the straw.
Also, according to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for taking out a straw for a beverage can, comprising: a plate-shaped straw take-out member having one end defining an inner space into which the straw can be inserted and formed with an engaging piece, the other end formed with a stepped portion into which the engaging piece can be engaged, and a middle portion bent such that a degree is defined between the ends.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, the straw take-out member comprises a pair of elastic plates integrally connected with each other, the pair of elastic plates being contacted with each other and positioned into a side by side relationship when the engaging piece is engaged into the stepped portion, and a can lid portion being formed when the beverage can is opened disengages the engaging piece from the stepped portion while it is moved into the beverage can.
By the features of the present invention, due to the fact that a straw compressively received in a beverage can may be automatically projected through a can opening and beyond a can upper wall while a can lid portion formed when a beverage can is opened is moved downward or upward into or out of the beverage can, it is not needed to prepare a separate straw and to grasp the straw with a hand while drinking beverage using the straw, whereby convenience is ensured. Also, since a disinfected straw is contained in the beverage can such that it is projected outside to be conveniently used, it is not needed to put one""s lip onto a can upper wall defining a can opening, whereby hygiene is ensured.